Is this enough food? Or do people expect a cooked dinner

[Erter]

I’m trying to figure out my birthday, any input would be greatly appreciated.

We’re going out for a posh lunch, musical (matineee) and then back to mine for games and cocktails.

Im going to get dh to put us out a charcuterie board (cheese, olives, pickles, fresh bread, chutneys, grapes, cured meat, pears, crackers), some sweet treats, crisps and dip, fruit and a few samosa, spring rolls, sausage rolls etc. This will probably be eaten at 7-7:30.

Bear in mind we will be drinking and going to bed very late. Do you reckon I will have to budget for a late night Chinese/Indian/Pizza.

Or the picky bits is fine?

I remember being given this as an O'level Domestic Science question in 1979! Obviously without the alcoholic content. But it was pretty much the same. I had to cook lunch for them & then prepare something for the evening when we came home from the theatre. As it was an exam I made quiches, frittatas & other fancy-pants stuff 😂

I agree with PP. I think the picky bits at about 7:00pm probably won't be enough.

I agree with home made scone-based pizzas (easy & cheap to make) or, even easier, a few frozen pizzas.

Under these circumstances I usually make a veggie curry served with rice. A jar of balti paste added to a mixture of veg & a couple of tins of chopped tomatoes, job done & you can freeze any that's left over (though I find never any left LOL!)

Your guests may appreciate some picky bits towards the end of the evening if they've been drinking as well. But I'd keep that simple - nice bread (the French sticks that are part-cooked & just need to be finished in the oven always go down well), a selection of cheeses, some celery & carrot sticks & some dips.

Have a lovely evening.

Sounds fine to me, chuck some pizzas in. I would prefer picky bits to takeaway

Agree. I'd get some pizzas in.

I would do the picky bits and have a couple pizzas and frozen stuff as back up if people are hungry again later on. I don’t think pizzas and charcuterie are the same vibe so I wouldn’t do them at the same time personally.

Posh lunch = small lunch that looks pretty but not much actual food! We normally need a meal after anything posh!

Add in pizzas in the evening with all the snacks to mop up the cocktails and drinks

have fun!

Depends how substantial lunch is, and how much you’re drinking thereafter,

How about just doing pizza, salad, garlic bread and sweet treats - brownies, flapjacks, millionaire shortbread. It’s easy enough to snack on or eat cold later

I think you need to do a full buffet. So yeah, add in a few pizzas or sandwiches and it'll be fine

I think that picky bits sounds lovely just make sure there’s plenty & I would just add nice bread & butter to give people something to soak up the alcohol if required. Sounds like a fab birthday🤗

I love charcuterie etc but would want some proper veg/protein too (not bread for me but others would). I’d add a big pan of home made veg soup and a couple of cold roast chickens.

So, what time do you want all your MN friends to come over? 😂

If you are having a three course lunch, surely your picky bits should be enough!
Also it’s your blinking birthday so why should you have any extra bother🙄

Sounds fine to me -- you're going out for a big lunch.

I think it's a good idea. I wouldn't want a hot meal after a 3 course lunch and drinking. Picky bits would be perfect for me.

Bother? If you don’t want to cater for people, surely you would simply not invite them to your house for a meal.

If lunch is early, and people will be drinking late into the night, then most of them will need something substantial as an evening meal. And if there do happen to be any MN competitive undereaters present, they will have a ball swooning at the sight of all that food they couldn’t possibly “manage”. Everyone wins.

A 'real' French onion soup is my go-to for this kind of thing.

I'd go with the charcuterie and cheese board, then serve a cauldron of exquisite French onion soup with extra bread if it's needed. It's nicely convivial, too. Plus you can make it the day before and just warm it up/toast bread etc.

Yes indeed, my revelling masses stay out all night and then have cooked breakfast.

The real question is how late is late.

I wouldn't want a Chinese takeaway if I'd been out for a three course meal and I'm a pig! Snacks bits as you've suggested would be lovely @Erter but sticking a couple of pizzas in too would be even better!

A charcuterie board can be quite substantial if it has plenty of meats, cheeses and nice bread as well as crudités and dips. I think it would be perfect for dinner after a big lunch. People can eat as much or as little as they want.

Clearly I’m in the minority based on this thread but I would much prefer to be offered that than awful supermarket pizza.

Yes, plan for both nibbles and a full meal - Pizza, indian, lasagnas, pasta bowls, etc. You're going to end up with a bunch of overly drunk people either getting sloppy and sick or leaving to find food otherwise.

If you planned on everyone leaving at 8 or 9 or if you weren't starting early I'd say differently, but it sounds like you expect people to be drinking 9-10 hours or more after their last full meal.

Have some pizzas in the freezer just in case.

If I've had a 3 course lunch I don't want a proper evening meal so picky bits sounds perfect. I'd definitely go overboard though and make sure there's loads for people who may be hungrier.

A three course lunch means I wouldn't eat a dinner, a few bits to pick at would be more than enough

Had just managed to feed baby to sleep, then my snort at this woke them...best get order in to Just Eggs... wonder if they'd do a poached one for me!